Ten Competencies Report: Nurse Involvement in Culture Change

In 2008, the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, in collaboration with the Coalition of Geriatric Nursing Organizations and Pioneer Network, convened an interdisciplinary Expert Panel of leaders in culture change and in gerontological nursing to explore and make recommendations about the role of nurses with regard to nursing home culture change. An issue paper, Nurses Involvement in Nursing Home Culture Change: Overcoming Barriers, Advancing Opportunities (www.hartfordign.org/policy/position_papers_briefs), provided several recommendations, one of which was to develop a set of competencies for licensed nurses in nursing homes to promote and facilitate person-directed care and culture change in their organizations. This recommendation recognizes the important role nurses play in an organization’s nursing home culture change transformation and ensuring high quality care and life for residents.

A core group of nurses with expertise in nursing home culture change were charged to address this recommendation. The group reviewed existing competencies for nurses and other disciplines in long-term care and care of older adults. They consulted with nurse experts, actively engaged in the work of culture change and considered role models, to identify the competencies. Ten competencies were finalized after extensive input from nurses throughout the country via a survey that proposed 39 competencies. The 10 competencies are those deemed most relevant and critical for nurses to be successful in creating and sustaining person-directed care.

The 10 competencies are specific to nursing home culture change. There are existing geriatric nursing competencies that were developed and shared in 2000 by the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing and the American Association of Colleges in Nursing (AACN). The 10 competencies build on this body of knowledge.

The competencies do not specify the role of the nurse or the level of education of the licensed nurse. Some competencies will be more applicable to nurses in administrative positions and registered nurses, while others are applicable to all levels of licensed nurses.

The 10 competencies, in total, are necessary for the entire licensed nursing team. As such,a nursing team well grounded in these competencies, would be an invaluable part of the interdisciplinary team, recognizing that is a team effort.

May 27, 2010
Nurse Competencies for
Nursing Home Culture Change
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